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Chernobyl
About Chernobyl
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, when Reactor Number 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, exploded during a safety test. The explosion released approximately 400 times more radioactive material than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Two workers died immediately and 28 first responders died from acute radiation sickness within months. Approximately 350,000 people were permanently evacuated from the surrounding area. The Soviet Union initially attempted to conceal the accident, but elevated radiation levels were detected in Sweden on April 28, forcing disclosure. About 6,000 thyroid cancer cases had been documented by 2005 among people exposed to iodine 131 as children or adolescents, and the 2005 Chernobyl Forum projected up to 4,000 eventual deaths among the most exposed populations, with other estimates higher. The exclusion zone covers 2,600 square kilometers. Chernobyl demonstrated the catastrophic potential of nuclear accidents and motivated significant safety improvements in nuclear power worldwide. The HBO miniseries Chernobyl in 2019 brought renewed attention.